As so many controversial cases have concluded their journey through the courts over the last few years, we've all heard our share of people referring to a judicial outcome as "unjust" or failing to "deliver justice" to a person(s) or their family.

Or before the investigation has even started (often within mere hours of the incident in question), individuals saying that they're seeking "justice" and only "justice" will do. i.e. "no justice, no peace," though rarely do these individuals come right out and say what they mean by "justice."

Even the National Bar Association, a predominantly African-American legal organization (that I'm actually a member of), started referring to decisions its membership (presumably) disagrees with as "unjust," while simultaneously saying it "respects the law" and acknowledging that said decisions usually follow years of investigation and legal proceedings.

So as a lawyer interested in possibly writing on this topic, I'm asking DUer's opinions: what is justice? Is it a process? Is it a specific outcome?

And if it's an outcome, does each case have only one "just" outcome? If so, whose preferred outcome is considered the "just" one, and how do we control for that from case to case as the involved parties change?

Truly interested in the input of anyone willing to share their perspective.